A Taste of Mackinac Coming June 16 to Harbour View Inn

Jessica Delaney

A Taste of Mackinac may not be the correct label for an event that allows guests to gorge themselves on the food of a dozen Island restaurants. The flavorful event, part of the 56th Lilac Festival, will be Thursday, June 16, at Harbour View Inn.

For $15, adults will be able to indulge their fifth sense for a full lunch. Children get the same opportunity for $7.

This year, the people's choice contest for best food has been eliminated and diners can concentrate on the pleasure of eating. A Taste of Mackinac will operate like a buffet, with a series of banquet tables, each manned by a chef and staff, representing a dozen or more Island restaurants. The chefs are preparing to feed 500 people at the luncheon.

Harbour View Inn, with its large front lawn and lilac trees in bloom, will host the event. Tents will be set up under trees and Ste. Anne's Church has offered the use of its public restrooms for the event.

A Taste of Mackinac, because of its outdoor location, can be a challenge for Island chefs. Not only must food be cooked for a large number of people, but it must also be prepared prior to the event and then transported to the Harbour View Inn on drays. Food is then kept in warming trays, so choosing a menu can be difficult.

Yankee Rebel Tavern will participate again this year, with food directly off their menu. Other regulars such as the Pink Pony and French Outpost will also send out chefs to show off some of their cuisine.

Cathy Szabo of Freshwater Foods will participate in the event for the first time. Although she has had a store on the Island for four years, this has been the first year that she had the time and resources to participate in the A Taste of Mackinac, she said. Her shop specializes in both baked and canned goods, and she will have samples of both at this year's event. Foods from Freshwater Foods will include Mackinac Island fudge sauce and strawberr, salsa, and strawberry rhubarb toppings, muffins, and scones.

Ms. Szabo is excited about the Taste of Mackinac and is already preparing for Thursday.

"I've done shows before," she said. "I already have a plan. It's like a catering job. I know what to expect."

Guests also know what to expect: a full array of delicious foods from many of the Island's most delectable restaurants. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Tourism Bureau or at the gate.